Almost a week has gone by without more depressing news about Washington’s high gas prices (thanks, Democrats!) until semi-good news came in that Washington state was not number 1 in the nation – but we’re still #2. As Center Square writes, “Washington state fuel prices are on the rise again, but despite the increase, California is still king when it comes to the price at the pump, beating out the Evergreen State by 13 cents per gallon this week.”

And, as Shift has pointed out, unlike Republicans, who have proposed a variety of measures to reduce gas prices, Democrats have no plan to ease your pain at the pump.  So that’s the semi-good news – as long as California is out there, Governor Jay Inslee will have competition for causing the highest gas prices in the United States. However, you can read how the reporter even rains on that parade by pointing out that “unlike California, however, the price to gas up in Washington has risen more than 30% following the implementation of the new cap-and-trade carbon tax at the beginning of the year” here… Center Square, Shift.

That is what the state’s chamber of commerce is calling for in an opinion-editorial in tomorrow’s Seattle Times. As the Association of Washington Business writes, “Voters deserve the truth from their elected officials. If the state is to truly manage the complexities of the green transition, we need an honest conversation about the policies and costs that come with them.”

Unfortunately for the AWB, honesty is not always the first option in the extreme environmental community, as “now that the predicted rise in gas prices is taking place, however, some lawmakers and environmental advocates appear to be surprised. Well, their “surprise” is surprising.”  You can read more about the most obvious point from the op-ed, which Democrats like Inslee really don’t want to admit, that “Going green is expensive” here… Seattle Times.

The sad tale that is the Seattle response to public drug use is an ongoing mess, fueled by deep Democrat disagreement over whether there should be any possible threat of punishment for drug users. The debate rages on, leaving KOMO to break the sad truth that the “city of Seattle will miss its self-imposed deadline. There will be no new drug possession law, even after a rejected vote, a task force, and a compromise measure.”

The only city council member who is assured of being on the council next year (since four are quitting, three are in re-election races, and one is running away to the King County Council) is Sara Nelson, and she is willing to tell the truth to her uncaring colleagues. “We’re really talking about losing time. It has been two months and in that time, more people have died.” You can read about how more street deaths don’t really move the Seattle council to do the right thing here… KOMO.

The suburban homeless face different complexities than those near public services in downtown areas, and one city struggling with the issue is Burien, with the mayor, several council members, and the business community working on a local solution, while other councilmembers and the city’s own staff prefer following King County’s direction on the issue. Shift has committed to keeping its readers updated on developments, and here is a lengthy piece from PubliCola, which starts with the origin of the issue that “Burien officials have been debating how to deal with encampment residents since March when the council and King County Library System voted to evict a group of people living in tents outside the building that houses Burien City Hall and the local library branch.”

You can see just how deep the disagreements are in the city and how one solution could be a “potential contract with Kirkland mortgage broker Kristine Moreland, who offers private sweeps, at a cost of $515 per ‘camper,’ or about $20,000 for a ‘40 person sweep,’ through a new nonprofit called The More We Love”, here… PubliCola.

In this week’s special Newsmaker Interview, Jon DeVaney, President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WAFTA), discussed his background in the tree fruit industry and its impact on Washington’s economy. He entered the industry in 2009 after various agricultural policy roles. DeVaney highlighted the challenges caused by the Democrats’ overtime wage law, resulting in reduced income for farmers and workers and causing some produce to go to waste. He criticized Governor Jay Inslee’s rushed implementation of a “carbon tax,” which lacked promised agriculture exemptions, negatively affecting many farmers. DeVaney also discussed issues like foreign trade updates, loss of farmland to solar/wind farms, and frustration with uninformed Puget Sound lawmakers imposing strict agricultural regulations. Read more on Shift.

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